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Overview
The Feast of Saint Agatha, patron saint of Catania, is one of the most intense and spectacular religious events in the world. It is recognised as the third most attended religious celebration globally, drawing hundreds of thousands of worshippers and visitors every year from across Italy and abroad.
The heart of the celebrations takes place over three main days 3, 4 and 5 February, but the entire festive cycle extends from 30 January to 12 February, including preparatory rites, moments of reflection, liturgical celebrations, public displays of the relics and special Masses.
Key moments of the Feast of Saint Agatha
· 3 February – Offering of the Wax and Procession of the Candelora
At 12:00 p.m., the procession of the Offering of the Wax sets off from the Church of Sant’Agata alla Fornace and proceeds to the Cathedral. Religious, civil and military authorities, chivalric orders, academic institutions, historic Senate carriages and the faithful take part, accompanied by votive candles. The ceremony concludes in the Cathedral with the solemn Te Deum and the Eucharistic blessing.
· 4 February – Dawn Mass and Grand Procession
Before dawn, the faithful gather in the Cathedral for the Rosary and the Dawn Mass (6:00 a.m.), followed by the procession of the relics of Saint Agatha, which passes through some of the city’s most symbolic places: Porta Uzeda, Piazza Stesicoro, Sant’Agata la Vetere, Piazza Palestro and Via Garibaldi. In the evening, the silver fercolo returns to Piazza Duomo.
· 5 February – Pontifical Mass and Final Procession
After the morning celebration of the Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Cathedral (10:15 a.m.), the afternoon is marked by the final procession of the Sacred Relics, which follows Via Etnea, Piazza Cavour, Via Caronda, Via Crociferi and Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi before returning to the Cathedral. This is followed by a thanksgiving and blessing celebration presided over by the Archbishop.
The programme also includes:
· Preparatory Triduum (30 January – 2 February) with special Masses dedicated to the armed forces, women victims of violence, volunteers, and religious men and women
· Post-festival celebrations (6–7 February) with Masses at the altar of Saint Agatha
· Extraordinary public display of the relics for schools (9–11 February)
· Closing Day (12 February) with Holy Masses, veneration of the relics, a solemn celebration and the final procession in Piazza Duomo
The Feast of Saint Agatha is an experience that goes far beyond religious ritual: it is a powerful collective expression of identity, devotion, community and cultural heritage, capable of uniting spirituality and spectacle in the heart of one of Sicily’s most vibrant and authentic cities.
